AN Ulster man, whose only long-term survival hope is a liver transplant, told last night how every day is "like sitting on death row" as his health continues to deteriorate.

Colin Kirkpatrick has been told that despite having chronic Hepatitis C and end-stage cirrhosis of the liver he is not sick enough to have the life-transforming operation and must get even more ill before he has any chance of getting better.

The 51-year-old contracted the potentially deadly Hepatitis C from a dirty blood transfusion in 1979 - but it was only discovered over two decades later.

He said: "You have to be pretty ill to get on the transplant list - there are certain markers and criteria you must meet."

"It's incredible that you have to hope to get worse so that you can get better.